Fans pour onto the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium after Ole Miss' 41-24 win over Mississippi State on Saturday. (Mike Herndon/mherndon@al.com)

The SEC on Tuesday fined Ole Miss $5,000 for allowing fans to celebrate on the field after the Rebels' 41-24 Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State on Saturday.

Fans poured onto the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium after the final seconds ticked off the Rebels' win, Ole Miss' first in the series since 2008. The victory also clinched a bowl berth for Ole Miss one year after a miserable 2-10 season.

The SEC's access to competition area policy, which went into effect in 2004, states that such access "shall be limited to participating student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly-credentialed individuals at all times. For the safety of the participants and spectators alive, at no time before, during or after a contest shall spectators be permitted to enter the competition area. It is the responsibility of each member institution to implement procedures to ensure compliance with this policy."

This is Ole Miss' first violation of the policy, according to the SEC. A second offense would carry a fine of up to $25,000 with third and subsequent offenses triggering fines of up to $50,000.